We're on Inferno and getting absolutely torn up by his spread chain attack. (We've tried it as solo Wizard, solo Demon Hunter, and as a pair together.) There seems to be little pattern to when he uses it, and its random damage has hit for upwards of 40k at times, enough to one-shot. Even with 2400 armor and some extra physical resistance, I'm taking enough to survive with less than 3000. Is the only solution to stack more armor and vitality, or are we missing a tell?

Not sure if he does it on Inferno (hence the comment), but I found his single chain on normal was preceded by him pointing with his other hand.
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Matthew ScharleyMay 21 '12 at 2:15

Yeah, he still hooks (most bosses don't really change their abilities up except for Diablo, at least as far as I've seen) but that's somewhat dodgable - it's the spreading chain attack with multiple spikes. We've gone back to the drawing board and boosted armor and vitality but it's still a pretty horrifying attack.
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AshelMay 21 '12 at 2:51

Ah, sorry. I only just got past Diablo on normal today, so I'm not up on all the extra boss mechanics in harder difficulties yet. Sorry it wasn't helpful. Hopefully someone else has some better ideas!
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Matthew ScharleyMay 21 '12 at 3:18

I've only seen the spread chain attack at mid-far range. Up close and personal may seem dangerous, but it's probably your best bet. Tip: Make sure you avoid his large swing and knock back at a reasonable distance. Rather than using chain, he will typically charge, allowing for easy damage.
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DomocusMay 21 '12 at 4:17

@Domocus If that's your answer as the pattern to the Butcher's chain attack, you should post it as an answer and not a comment.
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skovacs1May 22 '12 at 12:14

2 Answers
2

I've only seen the spread chain attack at mid-far range. Up close and personal may seem dangerous, but it's probably your best bet. Tip: Make sure you avoid his large swing and knock back at a reasonable distance. Rather than using chain, he will typically charge, allowing for easy damage when stunned.

Though I did manage to kill him after the fact, this revelation coupled with the no-vitality crit/damage soak build made doing it a second time a breeze. Demon Hunters and Witch Doctors don't have much recourse beyond armor and vitality - but those guys are jerks anyway. Good enough for an accept.
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AshelMay 23 '12 at 8:45